Mattress stapling machine



Oct. 10, 1944.. J. w. DROLL 2,360,115

MATTRESS STAPLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 10, 1944. w DRQLL 2,360,115

MATTRESS STAPLING MACHINE Filed- Aug. 21, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizz/612252- $36,072 Wfl rol kj 84d d6 .15

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Oct. 10, 1944. J. W. DROLL 2,360,115

MATTRESS STAPLING MACHINE I Filed Aug. 21, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I I J. W. DROLL,

MATTRESS STAPLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1941' 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ucit. w, 1944. v W R LL 2,360,H5

IAA 'ITRESS STAPLING MACHINE I Filed Aug. 21, 1941 5 Sheecs-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 10, 1944 MATTRESS STAPLING MACHINE Joseph W. Droll, Wilmette, Ill., assignor to J. W. Droll Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application August 21, 1941, Serial No. 407,747

8 Claims.

The invention relates to machines for stapling strips to the spring-structures of mattresses.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine for attaching a strip of suitable material around the borders of mattresses to secure the mattress filling used on the faces of the mattresses to the spring-structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type which is adapted to travel around the sides, ends and corners of the mattress and which comprises means for supporting a roll of the strip in advance thereof and laying the strip into position to be stapled to the springstructure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for stapling the upper and lower borders of mattress padding to the springstructure.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the con- Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 65 of Fig. 4. Fig. '7 is a section taken on line l-1 of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 99 of Fig. 4. Fig. 10 is a plan of the device for laying the strip around the upper corner of the border of a mattressstructure, the carriage and holder for the strip being shown in section. Fig. 11 is a perspective of the device for supporting the supply for the strip. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the stapling mechanism, parts being shown in section. Fig. 13 is a transverse section illustrating a staple being driven through the strip and filling of the mattress. Fig. 14 is a view of the stapling mechanism illustrating the former and driver in their lowered position, the front plate of the head in which the former is slidable being removed. Fig. 15 is a similar view illustrating the staple former and driver in their raised position. Fig. 16 is a k table.

detail of the mechanism for shifting the stapledriver.

The invention is exemplified in a machine which comprises a horizontal table a for supporting the mattress-structure and a carriage b. which is adapted to travel completely around the,

table. The carriage supports a stapling mechanism c and an electric motor dior supplying power for propelling the carriage 1) around the 7 table and for operating the stapling. mechanism.

The machine is exemplified as used for securtress, by staples g.

and padding f inwardly of the border-member F, for securing the strip and padding toand around the border-member f The table a is rectangular with rounded corners and is adapted to support the spring-structure- The border of the with the padding thereon. structure will be adjacent to and conforms to the and mattress-structure.

The carriage b is supported and guided around the table in a path conforming to the contour of the mattress-structure by a track h which extends around the table and is supported on fixed standards or legs g The track 71. is provided with a continuous groove W. A pair of rollers 71 (Figs. 4 and 5) ride on the bottom of the groove h to verticallysupport the carriage h; Rollers k are mounted in arms I5, respectively. Arms [5 are pivotally connected to vertical pins I6 to permit them to caster around the corners of the track h and said pins are carried by an extension I l of the carriage b. The lower portion of the carriage is held against transverse tilting bya lower roller 13 which is mounted on the lower end of carriage b and rides on a vertical track 19' which extends around the table and conforms The carriage b groove h in track h and roller 2! engagesthe upper portion. i

The stapling and strip-laying device is adapted to travel completely around the table 7 h in the corner.

roller 2 I.

The rounded corners between the sides and the ends of the track are formed in the bracket 71, The sides of the track-grooves h in each corner bracket h have straight portions 24 at the top of the track which intersect the curve These straight portions are engaged by the upper roller 2| which is located at the leading end of the carriage to cause the carriage to move rectilinearly until the point at which the stapling is done reaches the curve at the corner ofthe border or the mattress.

The lower portion of the sides of the track-groove in each bracket b is formed with a convexly curved portion 22 on the inner side of the grooveand a concavely curved portion 23 ch rts outer side. Curved portions 22 and 23 are engaged by the trailing roller 29. Each bracket 71 is also provided with a similarly convexly'curved inner side portion 25 and a concavely curved outer side portion 26 which is engaged by the Each-bracket is also provided with straight portions 2'! on the lower portion of the inner and outer sides of the track-groove which are engaged by the'roller 2|]. This track formation "for the corners causes the stapling pointon the carriage to travel in an are which conforms tothe arc of the curved corners of the border; of the mattress-structure where the staples areto be driven through the strip e inwardly of the border-member of the springstructure.

The motor 11; through an endless belt al drives ashaft'd which 'is suitably 'journale'd in the carriage; A gear d on'shaft' d drives a gear 11 which drivesa gear d on a-shaft 01 All of this gearing is mounted in the carriage b so it will travel therewith.

The "mechanism for-propelling the carriage b around' the' table and mattress-structure comprises a cam-groove 28 in' gear d a lever 29 fulcrumed at '30'in thecarriage b and provided with a stud 3l -which rides in the groove 28; a link 32 pivoted tothe free end of'lever 29; an arrfi 3 3 to-which link 32 is pivoted at 3%; a oneway b'all andratchet clutch 35, the driven member of whichis connected to a-bevelled gear 36 which is operated step-by step' by the driven member of the c1utch;'a bevelled gear 3'! meshing 'wi'thgear 36; a clutch 38 on a vertical shaft 39, which-is adapted to drive said shaft; a gear 40"fiXed to the upper end of shaft 39 and a rack 4| extending-around the track hi Clutch 38 iscontrolled by a handle 42 which is adapted to uncouple' the clutchwhen it is 'desired'to keep the carriage b stationary. mechanism "for intermittently propelling the carriage b" on thetra'ck h around the table a and the: m'attress structure thereon.

The invention comprises means for automatically laying and folding the strip of fabric 8, such-"as muslin, around the border of the padding and the'b order m'ember of the spring-structure as the carriage 'h'which carries the stapling devicis propelled around the table. This device comprises-a support for a roll e of fabric strip e which is supported to'travelin advance of the carriagebf The strip is wound flat in the roll e and extends from the mattress-structure through a shoe 43- (Figs; 3, l3 and 14) which is fixedly-secured to the inner face of the frame 0 which carries the stapling mechanism 0. An anvil 44 forthe"stapling device is mounted on the fragnec adjacent the inner open side of shoe 43.

This exemplifies The bottom of the shoe 43 and the anvil 44 are positioned so the lower portion of the strip e will be held to extend inwardly and downwardly from the curved outer portion 43 of the shoe. The stapling mechanism is operated in a path at right-angles to the plane in which the lower portion of strip 6 is held by the anvil and shoe to drive the staple through the mattress-structure and strip e at a downwardly and outwardly extending angle. The upper member of the shoe is provided with an upwardly and inwardly inclined wall 43* for engaging and pressing the upper portion of strip e and the padding downwardly andinwardly of the border-member f while .the staple is being driven. Wall 43 is provided with an opening 43 through which the staple is driven by the former and driver of the stapling mechanism. This shoe folds the strip around the border-member of the springstructure, compresses the padding f and forms it into a roll I around the border member 7 f .and draws the strip tightlyaround the roll of compressed padding while the staples are being driven;

Spool e for'the roll e is held. on a vertical spindle 45'which is mounted on a bracket 46 which is propelled around .the' mattress with and in advance of the carriage b. Bracket 46 is supported and guided by the track'h. A plate 41 .is fixed to bracket 46 and extends over thegroove h in the track (Figs. 7 and 11) and slides on the'top of the track h. A roller 48 on a stud 49 engages the lower portion of the sides of the groove k and a roller 50 on a stud 5| engages the-upper portions of the sides of the grooveh of the trackh. Studs 48, 5| are mounted in plate 47. Rollers 48and 50- guide the bracket 46 'so it will travel around the corners of the track substantially in. the same .path as the carriage b which carries the stapling mechanism. A screwstud 52 (Fig. '7) carried by. a bar. 53 which is fixed to bracket 46 prevents the upward dis-- placement of rollers 48 and.50 from the track h.

bracket 45 and the parts supported thereby;

The bracket 46 and the roll 6 are propelled from the carriage b by a pair of push-links 54. 56. Link 54 is pivoted to carriage b by a vertical pin 55 and to link 56 by a pin 51. Link 56 is pivoted, at its-leading end, by a pin 58 to the bracket 46. The pivot-pin 51, between links 54, 56, is'carried by a block 6|. A roller 59 which travels in the lower portion of the groove h of the track h, is'connected by a bar 60 to a block 6! which carries the pivot 51. A lower bar 62, fixed to blockfil, extends under the track It to prevent upward displacement of the roller 59. This linkageipropels the bracket 46 around the track I). Thezstrip e is held against unwinding fromthe'roll e by a friction-member 64 which. isfixedto pivoted arm 65 which is pressed by a spring 66 to force the member 64 against the roll e The strip is looped around pins 61 and 68 (Fig. 12) and is held by pin 68 close to the border of the mattressv The strip between the roll a and the shoe 43 is under tension so that it will be kept taut for folding the strip e around the border of the mattress-structure by the shoe. As the spool e is advanced away from the portion of the end of the strip e which has been stitched to the mattress-structure, the strip e will be drawn from the roll e a distance equal to the advance of the carriage b. The links 54-,

56 which push the spool-supporting bracket 48 propel the spool around the round corners of the track and fold it around the corners of the mattress-structure in advance of the carriage 1),,

as illustrated in Fig. 10. This exemplifies mechanism for propelling the supply-roll of strip 6 in advance of the carriage b and for laying or folding it against the border of the mattressstructure. As the head travels step-by-step, the strip e will be pulledfromthe roll e and laid in place in advance of the stapling device along the sides, ends and corners of the mattressstructure. A shoe 69 is fixed to bracket 48 to deflect any portion of the padding or springs tructure out of the path of the support for the spool e The stapling mechanism is mounted on thev carriage b so it will be propelled therewith around the mattress-supporting table a. This mechanism comprises a head H which is fixedly supported from the frame c which is secured to the top of the carriage b; a former l2 slidably mounted in head H and a driver 13 slidably mounted in the former 12. The former 12 is composed of front andback plates which are spaced apart at their margins by bars which extend below said plates for bending the ends of the severed strip. The driver 13 is slidably mounted in grooves in said bars. The former 12 is reciprocated in head H by a lever 14 which is fulcrumed at 15 in the frame and operated by a rod 16 which is reciprocated by a camgroove Il formed in one side of wheel T! which is fixed to and driven by shaft d". The free end of lever '14 carries a roller which slides in a yoke 83 on the upper end of the former 12. The upper end ofrod 15 is provided with a box 18 for a slidable block 19 in which is pivoted the stud 8|] which connects said block to lever 74.

The downward movement of rod 16 imparts the operative stroke to lever M and operates the former through a spring 8| interposed between the upper end of the box 18 and the block 19. This spring forms a resilient connection for operating lever 14 so that if the former should encounter the corner helical of the spring-structure of the mattress, in lieu of engaging the strip e inwardly thereof, the former can yield to avoid breakage of the operating mechanism or breakage of the helical.

The driver 13 is reciprocated by a lever 83 (Fig. 16) which is fulcrumed at 15 and is operatively connected to the upper end of the driver by a roller and yoke similar to the connection between lever 14 and the former l2. Lever 83 is rocked by a rod 84, the lower end of which is shifted by a lever 84 which is operated by a suitable cam-groove 84 in one side of wheel 11 which is fixed to the shaft b The upper end of rod 84 is connected to lever 83 by a resilient connection consisting of a block 88 which is pivotally connected to the lever and is slidably mounted in a box 8| and a spring 92 interposed between the top of the box and block 99. The operative stroke of rod 84 is downward and the resilient connection permits the stapledriver 13 to be arrested to prevent breakage during the operative stroke in the event that the driver strikes the border-helical or any portion of the spring-structure.

The wire is from which the staples are formed is drawn from a spool k and passes through straightening rollers k to a pair of feed-rollers 70 is, all of which are mounted on frame 0 and travel with the carriage b. 'These feed-rollers are intermittently operated by any suitable mechanism from shaft d to feed a, length of wire for cam 88 on shaft (i and a lever 86 which is rocked by said cam and pivoted to a stem on abutment 86. The wire fed into the head H over abutment 86 passes between a pivoted knife 88 and a shear plate 89. The knife 88 is intermittently operated to shear the wire from the shaft d by a cam 88 on the periphery of wheel Tl, an arm 88 and a lever 88 which, is pivoted to the knife. After the length of wire has been sheared off and rests on abutment 86 the former is operated downwardly to bend the ends of the strip of wire downwardly to form prongs. The abutment 86 is then withdrawn from the path of the driver. The former l2 and driver 73 are next moved downwardly to drive the prongs of the staple through and to pinch the strip 6 and the padding. The strip and padding will be indented by the former 12. The staple will be driven downwardly to cause the prongs of the staples to be bent inwardly by the grooves in the anvil 44 and the strip and padding to be tightly secured around the border-member of the spring-structure.

the abutment 86 may be of any suitable construction well understood in the art and therefore have not been illustrated and described in greater detail. 7

The table a is provided with four depending rack-bars which are slidably mounted in the corner brackets h of the track it, so that the table a may be raised or lowered to bring the border of mattress-structures of different thickness into horizontal alignment with the shoe 43. These rack-bars may be conjointly raised and lowered by interconnected shafts 8E and pinions 91 which engage the rack-bars 95, respectively, for rectilinear raising and lowering of the table a.

The operation of the machine is as follows: the assembled spring-structure for the mattress, including the border-members f and springs f, will be laid on the table a. The padding i will be laid on top of the spring-structure with its marginal portions extending over and depending from the helicals J. The free end of the strip e and the adjacent portion of the padding I will be placed into the shoe 43. The stapling mechanism 0 will then be operated to drive a staple through the upper and lower folds of the strip e, and the padding f inwardly of the helical f and secure them around the helical. the stapling operation the carriage b will remain stationary. After a staple has been driven the arm 33 which remains stationary during the stapling operation will be operated to rotate gear 48 which, by its engagement with the stationary rack 4!, will propel the carriage b and all the mechanisms supported thereon a distance equal to the desired spacing between the staples g. A stud and slot connection 33 between rod 32 and arm 33 permits the stroke of said arm to be varied according to the spacing desired between the staples. After the first staple has been driven through the strip e the latter will be attached to the border of the mattress and the strip will be kept taut in shoe 43 and between the shoe and the supply-spool e During the advance of the carriage b the spool e will be advanced a corresponding step by the links 54, 56 which push the The mechanisms for feeding the wire and operating During bracket 45, which carries said, spool, This, ade.

'vance'bf the spool e willjcause the strip to ber automatically drawn from thefspool andnlaid around the border of the mattress-structure. At;

theconclusion of ,ea'ch'step of .7 advance of the;

carriage b and bracket 46 the operation of the" stapling device will be repeated to secure the next staplein the mattress-structure. These op,- erations will be repeated'until the strip e has been stapled to the entire border of the mattress-- structure. When the carriage b reaches a corner of the track h, it will be guided around the mattress-structure on an arc which will cause the j path of the stapling mechanism to conform to the border of the mattress-structure. The supporting-bracket 46 from the spool (2 travels around a corner of the track'a considerable distance in advance of the carriage b and the stapling device;

0. The links 54, 56 cause the bracket 46 and spool e to pass aroundithe corner in advance of the carriage and to lay or draw the strip e snugly around the corner of theborderof the mattress: structure. When the strip 2 has been stitched around the border on one face of the mattress: structure it will be cut off. The mattressstructure is then inverted on the table'a and the strip is stapled in the same manner around the border of the other face of the mattress strucv ture.

The invention exemplifies a machine for stitch-.

ed to travel around the border of the structure and to progressively drive staples to secure the strip to the padding and spring-structure and in which the spool from which the strip is: wound travels with'and in advance of the stapling device and which is adapted to, automatically stitch the strip around the entire border ofv a mattresses, the combination with ,atable for supv porting the, spring-structure and padding thereon, a track conforming to. the mattress-border and extending around the table and having rounded corners ibetween the sides and ends, a carriagesupported onthe track and adapted to travel around the border of the spring-structure, and mechanism for propelling the carriage along the track, of a device mounted o-n the carriage provided with means for folding a strip of material to lap the top and side of and tosimultaneously compress the padding around the upper border-member of the spring-structure and with means extending inwardly from the first mentioned means for folding the padding under and inwardlyof said border-member, an anvil supported to travel with the carriage inwardly of said border-member and under the infolded portion of the padding and positioned for receiving a staple driven through the strip and the padding, and staple-driving mechanism mounted on and to travel with the carriage and positioned to drive a staple through the strip and padding inwardly of the border-member and against the anvil for simultaneously securing the padding and the strip to the springstructure.

aaeo, 1 1 5,

2, In a machine for assembling spring-structures having border-members and padding for, mattresses, the combination with a table for sup-.- porting the spring-structure and padding there- 1 on, a track conforming to the mattress-border and extending around the table and having .roundedcorners between the sides and ends, a carriage supported on the track and adapted to travel around the border of thesp'ring-structure,

- and mechanism for propelling the carriage along the track, of a shoe on the carriage provided with ILL aface for folding a strip of material to lap the top randside of and to simultaneously compress the padding'around the upper border-member of the spring-structure and with a face extending in-- 'wardly from the first mentioned face for. folding against the anvil for simultaneously securing the h :30 ing a strip to a, mattress-structurewhich is adaptpadding and the strip tothe spring-structure.

3, In a machine for assembling spring-structures having border members and padding for mattresses, the combination with a table for supporting the spring-structure. and padding there,- on, a track conforming to the mattress-border and extending around the table and having rounded corners between the sides and ends, a carriage supported on the track and adapted to travel around the border of the spring-structure, and mechanism for propelling the carriage along the track, of a shoe on the carriage provided with upper and lower inwardly extending faces and a,

curved connecting face between saidupper andlower faces, said upper face and'a portion of the connecting face being adapted to fold a strip of material to lap the top and side of and to simultaneously compress the padding aroundthe. upper T border-member of the spring-structure, saidlower face extending inwardly from the curved face and adapted to fold a portion ofthestrip andthe padding under and inwardly of said border memher, an anvil supported to travel with the carriage inwardly of said border-member and under the infolded portion of the padding and positioned for receiving a staple driven through the strip and the padding, and staple-driving mechanism mounted on and to travel with the carriageand positioned to drive a staple through the strip and padding mounted on and to travel with the carriage, a a

shoe on the carriage comprising top and lower members for compressing the padding around the border-member of the spring-structure and fold ing a strip around the compressed padding, means for operating the stapling mechanism to drivea staple through the folded stripand padding in.

wardly of the border-member, the top member having an opening therein through which the staple is driven.

5. In a, machine for assembling spring-structures having border-members and padding for mattresses, the combination with a table for supporting the spring-structure and padding thereon, a track conforming to the mattress-border and extending around the table and having rounded corners between the sides and ends, a carriage supported on the track and adapted to travel around the border of the spring-structure, and mechanism for propelling the carriage along the track, of means on the carriage for forming the padding into a roll around the upper bordermember of the spring-structure and folding a strip around the roll, means for laying the strip around the mattress-border in advance of the roll-forming and folding means, said laying means being adapted to travel around the corners of the track in advance of the carriage and sufficiently in advance of the folding-means to lay the strip around a corner of the mattress while the folding means is traveling rectilinearly, means for advancing the laying-means with the carriage, and mechanism mounted on an traveling with the carriage for driving a staple through the strip and the padding inwardly of the bordermember of the spring-structure and for securing the folded strip and the roll around the bordermember.

6. The combination with a machine comprising a table for supporting a spring-structure for a mattress having border-members and padding thereon, a track conforming to the mattressborder, extending around the sides and ends of the table and having rounded corners between the sides and ends, a carriage supported on the track and adapted to travel around the border of the spring-structure, mechanism for propelling the carriage along the track, of stapling mechanism mounted on and to travel with the carriage, means mounted on the carriage for holding a strip of material around the border of the mattress-structure, means for operating the stapling device to drive a staple through the strip inwardly of the border-member, a bracket for supporting a portion of the strip to travel around the corners of the table in advance of the carriage, means for guiding the bracket by the track to travel around the table, and a pair of pivotally connected links connected to, and in advance of, the carriage for shifting the bracket around the table.

7. The combination with a machine comprising a table for supporting a, spring-structure for a mattress having border-members and padding thereon, a track conforming to the mattressborder, extending around the sides and ends of the table and having rounded corners between the sides and ends, a carriage supported on the track and adapted to travel around the border of the spring-structure, mechanism for propelling the carriage along the track, of stapling mechanism mounted on and to travel with the carriage, means mounted on the carriage for folding a strip around the border of the mattress,

. means for operating the stapling device to drive a staple through the strip of padding inwardly of the border-member, a bracket for supporting a roll of the strip to travel around the corners of the table in advance of the carriage, means for guiding the bracket by the track to travel around the table, and a pair of links connected to each other by a pivot and connected to, and in advance of, the carriage for shifting the bracket around the table, and means for guiding the pivot between the links by the track.

8. The combination with a machine comprising a table for supporting a spring-structure for a mattress having border-members and a padding thereon, a track conforming to the mattressborder, extending around the sides and ends of the table and having rounded corners between the sides and ends, a carriage supported on the track and adapted to travel around the border of the spring-structure, mechanism for propelling the carriage along the track, of stapling mechanism mounted on and to travel with the carriage, means on the carriage for folding a strip of material around the border-member of a mattress-structure, means for operating the stapling mechanism to drive a staple through the folded strip, a support for a roll of the strip mounted to travel on and around the corners of the track in advance of the carriage for laying the strip along the mattress-structure in advance of the folding means, and a link-connection between the carriage and the support whereby the strip will be laid around a corner of the mattressstructure before the carriage reaches the corner.

JOSEPH W. DROLL. 

